The provision of a telephone service generally involves routing a cable having multiple electrical conductors from an external network connection into a building where the service is required.
In the past externally mounted terminal blocks have been used for linking a cable coming from a telephone pole, for example, to conductors leading into the building concerned. Each terminal block may include an array of metal strips embedded in an insulating body, with each strip having a pair of screws for securing the terminations of respective conductors.
Other connecting systems include terminal blocks comprising a body of insulating material equipped with built-in metallic fasteners having notched cutting edges for piercing the electrical insulating sleeves surrounding the conductors in order to establish the required electrical contact. These systems eliminate the previously required installation step of stripping the insulation off conductor ends before joining them.
Connectors having exposed metal portions remain susceptible to moisture penetration, and resultant undesirable stray electrical currents. More recent connecting systems accordingly provide individual connectors, each having an insulating body encasing a displaceable blade-like metal element. In use the metal element first strips the insulation off the terminations of electrical conductors, and then forms an electrical link between them.
The present invention seeks to provide a method and an apparatus to facilitate and simplify the installation of electrical cables, and joining their respective conductors as required.